Sunday, September 25, 2011

There was lots of talk about the iPhone 5 being ready for early September but based on the small number of leaks (that's really how it's measured) it looks more and more like late 2011.

I guess instead of the "back to school" time they are pushing the old Christmas gift for the mighty iPhone 5. Interestingly enough, regardless of what it has, or doesn't have, there are plenty reports that it'll outsell all other smartphones! I sometimes wonder if Apple could package up a pile of dog crap an sell it!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

One percent doesn't sound like much does it? In reality, it can be a huge number. I'd take 1% of Bill Gate's worth anyday - that would leave me with $560 Million. Another big number is 1% of the world's web browsing usage, which is what Apple's iPad is reported to have achieved. Considering that 5% of all web browsing is now done on mobile devices, the iPad is used for a massive chunk of that browsing.

In the US those numbers are even larger, with the iPad being used for just over 2% of all web browsing, and mobile devices accounting for just over 8%. Pretty impressive numbers especially considering the iPad celebrated it's first anniversary just two months ago.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Most of you iPhone users (at least those that visit the iTunes store) have probably seen the free app Office Jerk! This fun app has gone through some developmental changes and improvements that gives new and seasoned players some great fun. The premise behind the game is to throw different items at the Office Jerk. We all know who that person is at our own workplace, and this game allows you to vent out some frustrations you would love to do for real - but can't!

Office Jerk has been downloaded 7.5 Million times from iTunes!

Originally the game started as a huge hit, reaching #1 free app, by offering items such as a pencil and an eraser to throw. The Jerk made some sound effects. As the game developed the Jerk began reacting more to having items chucked at him. Now in the latest version, the Jerk is more interactive than ever. There is also a "shelf" of items available to throw, each resulting in a different reaction from the Jerk, and each breaking unique items in the game. I won't give away all the secrets but I will tell you that golf ball and the cupcakes are now my favorite, taking over from the dynamite and pie.

Office Jerk was recently released on a few of the Android markets!

Those those that are interested there is also a checklist available on the Office Jerk Facebook page. Now you can see all the actions you are missing!

Friday, July 1, 2011

10. Make pancakes with pure maple syrup.9. Eat bacon.8. Wear red and white colours (Canadians add the U in color).7. Be even nicer than normal.6. Visit Niagara Falls (popular).5. Visit Canada's desert (in Osoyoos, British Columbia).4. Drink real beer (not any of that 4.5% alcohol stuff).3. Play hockey, and do it well!2. Enjoy having different holidays, spelling and even 1/2 hour time zones.1. Finish every sentence with "Eh" (nobody knows why?)

I've posted a few times already about Will and Kate's wedding and any apps and websites dedicated to the Royal Wedding and the Royal Couple. Remember the famous kiss... actually it was two!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have started their Official 2011 Royal Tour and there is an app dedicated to just that. Royal Tour is free on the iTunes store. As well as showing tour dates and and a full itinerary, the app is a source of photo and video updates of their tour. There is a link to read what is being said on Twitter and there is also a Facebook connection titled Crown in Canada.

Will and Kate will be touring Canada from June 30 - July 8, 2011! Seeing them live would be great, but this Kick Butt little iPhone app is great for those who are excited about the Royal Couple and what they are doing!

Monday, May 23, 2011

While Apple might not have iCloud up and running by the time they host the WWDC in early June, it's looking more and more like they will at least have the pieces in place (agreements with music labels) to make an announcement introducing iCloud.

There is rumor that Apple has recently reached an agreement with Sony, leaving just Universal as the major player left.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Yes your read the title correctly!!! Imagine having every Playboy edition, in full, available on your iPad, or better yet your iPad2. Thats a lot of reading. Thats also a lot of viewing!!!

Quickly bring up every article, cartoon, story and of course... some incredible photography in vivid color with Apple's zoom-in technology. Hugh Hefner started Playboy in 1953, after receiving a $1000 loan from his mother.

iPlayboy is not an actual App available at iTunes, but rather a web app, whereas you access with Wi-Fi. Users can obtain a membership by paying for a monthly or yearly subscription.

Today is the 10th Anniversary of the first opening of the Apple stores. On May 19th, 2001 Apple opened two Stores. After 10 years Apple has over 300 stores worldwide. Ten years may seem like a long time, but to put it into perspective, the first Apple store opened less than four months before 9/11. Apple opened over 300 stores in less time than it took the whole world to find Osama Bin Laden.

Apple is said to be planning some big events and opportunities for customers over the next few days - details of which are being closely held.

And you thought the WHITE iPhone was cool, how about a mesmerizing deep purple iPhone 4?

This is not being offered by Apple, but rather an add-on, or replacement, case for your iPhone. Focus Supply has an assortment of other iPhone related items where you can choose to have your iPhone in blue, silver, gold and more.

Being able to personalize your iPhone they way you like totally Kicks Butt!!!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

According to PatentlyApple, Apple has filed a new patent for bringing text-to-speech and speech-to-text to the iPhone. This would be in a version of iOS5. Not word yet on whether this would be available on the next generation iPhone, possibly being released as the iPhone 4S.

This feature could be quite useful in a noisy environment, or a very quiet one when it would be advantageous to just read a message instead of hearing a voice message!

Monday, May 16, 2011

What do we know about the next iPhone, you know... the one that may or may not hit the stores in September! Well even without any specifics we know it will sell well, because it's a... you know... iPhone!

The latest rumor I read about has the next iPhone being called the iPhone 4S, not the iPhone 5 that everyone has been speculating about. Rumors also suggest it will look like the iPhone 4 in shape, but will carry the new Dual-Core A5 chip that is found in the iPad 2. As well as better cameras and HSPA+ support, the iPhone 4S would only have some minor cosmetic changes from the iPhone 4.

Keeping in mind that this is still just rumor, we don't really know when it will be launched, what it will look like, what features it will have, what colors it will be available in (holding white for 1/2 year sales event) or even what it will be called. We just know that sales of it will Kick Butt!!!

OK, it was bound to happen eventually. There are apps that count the calories you eat, measure the distance you run and even track how well you sleep at night. But now, there is an app that lets you know how well you're performing... in bed!

SexTrack even gives you a score based on parameters such as speed, amount, duration and intensity. The app uses the iPhone's built-in accelerometer to measure these items and based on the "players" movements, presents a score - and even presents a track records of their top scores!

For those who feel they must post everything about their daily lives on Facebook or Twitter, the app also has a social networking feature whereas this information may be posted in a classy form online, or emailed.

About two weeks ago I blogged about a new iPhone application called Office Jerk. What initially got my attention was who the game was made by. Office Jerk was developed in partnership by Fluik Entertainment and Big Fat Simulations. These two companies have been successful making products separately, and more recently as a team, achieved even greater success with their Airport Madness series of games developed for the iPhone and iPad.

Knowing the history behind these skilled game makers I was expecting Office Jerk to be a well made game, and although I blogged in favor of the game, I had little idea how popular it would become.

Office Jerk has been downloaded over 5 million times, and held the top free app at the iTunes store as many others just disappeared. I'm looking forward to how Office Jerk may be developed further in the future and what future apps may be developed by this collaborative team!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

It's amazing the value of a Brand Name. Often the brand insignia of an item is as valuable as the item itself. For example, if you made two identical shirts and placed a Nike swoosh on one, and a picture of me on the other, I'm sure the Nike item would sell for WAY more than double the item with the handsome picture on it.

Looking at the value of the top companies it's no surprise to see technology companies occupying the top few spots. What is surprising is how much a large company can increase it's worth in such a short time.

As you can see from the chart above, Apple has overtaken Google as the most valuable brand with a growth in value of 84% since last year. That makes Apple the world's most valuable company at over $153 Billion. Check out all those zeros $153,000,000,000. Google slides down to the number two spot at $111 Billion and IBM is number 3 at $101 Billion. Microsoft is number 5 at $78 Billion.

Interesting to note is how these numbers compare the the world's wealthiest people. Bill Gates is the world's second richest person at $58 Billion and Warren Buffet is number three at an even $50 Billion. The wealthiest person in the world is from Mexico, Carlos Slim at $74 Billion.

I'm sure if Apple decided to make a line of clothing and placed their little Apple brand insignia on each item it would be the hottest selling clothing line instantly. They could even design all the pockets to perfectly hold Apple items such as the iPhone and iPad.

Monday, May 9, 2011

I don't know why, but we refer to our batteries as if they are living things. For example, when the chemicals in a battery that produce electrochemical reactions slow the process of creating negatively and positively charged electrons, instead of saying the power is low, we say "my battery is dying!" Doesn't this seem a bit dramatic. Once it runs "out of juice" completely we refer to it as "dead!" Again, this description seems a bit extreme to me. Usually when something is dead, it's dead forever and rarely does something that is dead end up working just fine after plugging it in for two hours.

Hang on a sec, I gotta plug in my laptop before the battery dies!

Ok, I'm back. Now battery power has been a major issue for all smartphones since they were first created. The massive power and feature creep capabilities of the iPhone, Blackberry and Android devices draws a lot of the energy packed into the limited space of the battery itself. While hardware developers work feverously to pack more electrical punch into a battery, software coders are working to make the apps more efficient and use less battery power so you don't end up with the "dead" battery situation.

Apple recently released iOS 4.3.3 which they claim will increase battery life. This comes after iOS 4.3, which was followed by plenty of reports that there was little to no change, and even some claims that the battery loses the battle of life even faster!

I was cleaning up my apps loaded on my iphone yesterday, which mostly involved just moving apps around and into folders that resembled some sort of order. One App that I didn't realize I even had was eBay Mobile. I placed it in a category with some others that I rarely look at.

I was so glad I rediscovered it as I look at eBay online quite frequently. eBay Mobile runs natively on the iPhone, iPad touch and iPad, allowing the user to buy and sell as they would on their computer.

So if you haven't downloaded the free app already, do so today. If you have it buried somewhere in the last few pages of apps on your Apple device, go find it and check it out. It might be worth moving up the one of the front pages!

Monday, May 2, 2011

As I'm sure you've all heard, Bin Laden is dead. Being shot it the head will do that to a person, and I can hardly think of a person or animal more deserving!!!

It got me wondering if there were any iPhone Apps out there about Bin Laden, pre or post death! None to be found. I'm sure somebody is working on something whereas maybe we could take shots at him ourselves, drop a nuke on his head or even throw bricks at him. Maybe this game could even change their image to Osama Bin Laden, so players could vent their anger on him.

I did however, find a number of iPhone and iPad apps all about terrorism. Everything from what to avoid, checking for car bombs, the President's schedule, surviving nuclear fallout and training to be a counter-terrorism expert!

Part of me wants to have a bunch of new apps available to seek revenge, but another part of me thinks the less attention paid to Bin Laden, the better. He's dead, which he should be. He's gone. This can only be a positive thing for the rest of the world!

Today, May 2nd 2011, Canadians will elect their 41st Prime Minister. In actuality, they will be electing members to the House of Commons that make up the Canadian Parliament, and hence the Prime Ministership.

I was doing some searching for iPhone apps that might be useful for anyone wanting background info or the latest news and election results. I was quite surprised at how little was available. There are some strict rules about publishing election results but I at least expected more information about polls and from the political parties themselves.

Here are the apps I found from the political parties and their leaders:Green Party - Elizabeth MayNDP - Jack Layton

In a world of Twitter, Skype, Texting, Facebook, Email, Apps and a plethora of other at-your-fingertips technology, I really was expecting more. The Canada Elections App and the Globe Politics App both seem pretty good, but not great!

If you are having a really sleepless night and have $10 burning a hole in your pajama pocket, buy Prime Ministers of Canada, and you will have more info than you could possibly ever want!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

So it's Monday and you're stuck at work, annoyed that you have to somehow make it not only through the whole day with the jerks in the office, but the whole friggin week!

Go ahead and throw a mug at one of them! Or an eraser, a pencil, a stick of dynamite or even an egg! Office Jerk lets you do this, without getting fired!

All these items are fun to throw, but the mug is extra fun. I still like the dynamite but the mug will actually break things and knock over the jerk's family photo too. Give it a try and see what stuff you can break. Think outside the box a bit and you might be surprised what breaks.

I've been joking all week about how the new White iPhone 4 is just that... an iPhone 4 in white... everything else just the same. Well... looks like there is a small difference between the two. Apparently the White iPhone 4, is .2mm thicker than the Black iPhone 4. (Go ahead and insert a joke here)

.2mm (millimeters) is less than 0.008 of an inch!

I heard a few rumors giving explanation as to why the White iPhone 4 is thicker and here they are in no particular order:

5. Fixes the antennae problem they've had4. Blocks light entering the phone around the white plastic3. White plastic is thicker4. The controversy will increase sales5. The white wants to be thicker!!!

Whatever the reason, sales of the White iPhone 4 are strong. Now let's get back to getting out the iPhone 5!

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Yesterday I did a short blog about a new app available on the iTunes store called Office Jerk. I found it to be a funny iPhone App right from my first play (or throw to be exact)! With all the excitement of Will & Kate's Royal Wedding, I didn't have time to check back and see how the Office Jerk Application was doing. It is FREE by the way.

I was amazed to find it in the top 25 of Free Apps on iTunes!!! I knew the game had potential but this is quite an achievement in such a short time. I'll do some digging and try and find out how sales are going for premium items - I don't want to give much away there but apparently the dynamite is popular - see screenshot below.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Well it looks like FRING got there first. You can now do Group Video calls on your iPhone or Android, with up to four friends being displayed on one video screen. You can bet there are some other large companies that would love to have had this... or might make a try for "acquiring" the company.

One of the big words on this fantastic app is FREE! First off, the app itself is free. The four way video conference calling is free. With Fring you can make calls to other Frings users worldwide, for free. Also, live chat is... free!

Fring is a freemium product - meaning the app is free but there are some paid add-on features available. The rates for using Fring to make worldwide calls is very competitive! (but again, free to other Fring users)

Use this app on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Android or Nokia device!

Yes you read correctly. No apples falling from the proverbial tree in this business story. Apple has surpassed Microsoft in sales revenues and profits!

Microsoft and Apple reported revenues of $16.5B and $24.5B, and profits of $5.23B and $5.99B, respectively. Although Apple's numbers are larger than Microsoft's, the latter did have a higher profit margin. Apple's 50% more revenue over Microsoft, generated only 14.5% extra profit!

An economist might also suggest looking at the trend of revenues and profits, from the chart above, and further suggest that some basic extrapolation indicates Apple is more skybound than Microsoft and thus a better financial investment.

Another interesting item to note, if you care about investment returns, is the fact that Microsoft's stock has a lower PEI (price earnings ratio) compared to Apple's stock - 11.06% versus 16.68%. Just keep in mind this is history we are looking at. You must always look at what a company is doing NOW, and what they have for TOMORROW!

This App if FUNNY! I think this could be the next best office app ever. Haven't you ever wanted to throw something at a coworker??? I have - plenty of times. Well here's your chance with Office Jerk!

Throw a crumpled up piece of paper, an eraser or a pencil at the geek working on the computer and earn points.

The game is FREE. If you feel the need to throw some heavier objects you can purchase some inexpensive value packs where you will find staplers, mugs and even a pie. There are a few other funny objects but I'll leave those to the players to discover!

I don't want to give away any secrets but you can also throw the items at things other than the geek, such as the computer. I like a game with a few hidden cookies!

This is a fun little app that definitely scores highly on the Kick Butt rating!!!

So I wonder what will become of all those iPhone apps that were made specifically for Will and Kate's wedding? Most likely the iTunes store won't be selling nearly as many of them as they were the last few weeks. Will there be any new ones now that the wedding is done, and was such a successful event?

As all the excitement was starting for the royal wedding, Research in Motion was having a stroke. Specifically a downstroke! RIM's shares freefell 12% in Frankfurt after cutting it's profit outlook. It's seems most consumers are spending their money on Apple or Google's Android products!

The chart above is RIM's stock on the Canadian stock exchange Friday morning. The Ontario, Canada company is having trouble keeping even Canadian analysts optimistic about the stock, as a number of them have downgraded their outlook on the company.

I think this is a better graphical explanation of what is happening to the stock. Let me explain: Mr shareholder is walking down the street with his RIM shares in his pocket and just minding his own business... well I think you get the idea!

Yes I am getting a fever from the wedding due to start in just over 13 hours! If I had a sponsor I'd suggest taking Advil, Motrin or Tylonol... but I don't - so just take something!

In actuality, it will be a joyous event and watched worldwide. There is no lack of methods by which you may prepare, watch or just dive right into everything royal and specifically Will and Kate's wedding. The iTunes store has a plethora of iPhone and iPad apps dedicated to the royal wedding and everything associated with it. Some are even cartoon and games versions.

I even found a countdown until the wedding starts. Not sure what happens when it reaches the time of 0:00:00

There will be many eyes on Westminster Abbey starting at 10:00 AM, April 29th, 2011. I remember watching Charles and Diana's wedding almost 30 years ago. We didn't have iPhones and iPads or the internet to watch the wedding but many eyes sat in front of televisions to watch.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

I've been playing Big Fat Simulation's latest release, Radar Chaos, and thought I'd share a few unique features this game has over any other ATC (air traffic control) game out there yet!

1. The Control Interface is simple to understand and use. Slow & Fast and Up & Down are self explanatory. The heading uses the 360 degree compass, whereas 360 is North, 090 is East, 180 is South and 270 is West. Just drag the pointer in the direction you want the plane to fly, and even if you don't understand the compass points, you can still play the game.

2. Snitch Detector: Like some air traffic control radars have in real life, this game detects when two or more aircraft get to close. If there is less than 1,000 feet, or less than 3 miles lateral separation, you lose points - better than losing your job! It even draws a line when they get close showing the actually distance in tenths of a mile.

In this example the aircraft are 600' and 4.3 miles apart!

3. Mountains: The Mountains Level is my favorite so far. The mountains are brown (easy to recognize) and even have an altitude symbol beside them. If you place an aircraft too low in the mountains you get a comment, such as "hey, what are those billy goats doing up here?" or something like that!

4. Music: I actually like the music that plays with the game. Adds an element of suspense. I'm glad they did away with the voices of the pilots like they had in their original games, which are still available. The sounds associated with crashes, near misses etc... are appropriate and made me jump the first time I heard one. Avoid this!

5. Score: I'll be honest here, I need some practice at this because this is one area where I need to improve. The game shows how well a player does in a few ways. There is an airline satisfaction meter that gives a great visual representation of how well you are doing. There is also a status based on experience level - I've reached the mighty "instructor" level now. Most importantly, the game shows a player what their salary would be as an air traffic controller based on how well they do. Airplanes crashing into mountains or each other negatively affects this score.

With 10 levels, Radar Chaos is a great game that you will never get bored with. Have fun with it, and just don't beat my Kick Butt score!!!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Now this is exciting news.... maybe not as highly rated as the incredible news about the iPhone 4 now being available in white, check out my extensive review here, but TweetDeck has just released version 2.0 for the iPhone and iPad. The enhancements are significant.

The coding has literally been rebuilt from scratch. Instead of reworking and building onto something old, they did a rebuilt. They have the technology. They have the capability to make it better than it was before. Better, stronger, faster - just like the 6 million dollar man.

TweetDeck's interface with Facebook and Twitter will make this a very competitive social application that you can run on your Apple product.

The iPad 2 is still new right? Well it hasn't been out long and already there are products being unveiled that will compete directly with it. Some are inferior and some, in the eyes of Apple, are downright scary - because they are so darn competitive!

The Sony S1 and S2, which both make use of Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS, might be two of the best products being released that will compete directly against Apple's products. The S1, with it's 9.4 inch screen and 3G and WiFi capability will look and act most like the iPad 2, but it also features an infra-red port, making the Sony Playstation connection possible.

The S2 is a different tablet altogether, featuring two folding 5.5 inch screens. This clamshell tablet folds small enough to fit into a jacket pocket!!!

Monday, April 25, 2011

I found another interesting tidbit of information released at Apple's Q2 conference call. Tim Cook, Apple's COO, made reference to China being their fastest growing market. Sales grew by almost 250%, compared to the same period last year, and the first fiscal half reached sales of almost $5 Billion ($5,000,000,000).

Also, Apple's iPhone accounts for about 8% of China's 850M (850,000,000) strong mobile customer base. Even though companies such as Motorola, Nokia and Samsung have a lead over Apple in smartphone sales, things look good indeed for Apple in China.

When I was a kid it was always an adventure to go visit our grandparent's house. The seemed to collect everything. A few things I will never forget though; the bowl of matches on the coffee table, and the large shoebox filled with coupons. They used coupons for everything. I think their whole shopping experience revolved around what coupons they had and where they could save money. Over the years I'm sure they spent more on gas than they saved by driving to four different places to get the shopping done.

I hate coupons. I hate flyers. And I hate carrying extra pieces of paper in my pocket. I NEVER carry any coupons with me. One App I do like is the Groupon app (free of course). Essentially you type in your city, or let it do so automatically, and check out the deals around you. If you are going to a place that has an offer, just buy the coupon (groupon) as you would online, and you save on your purchase.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Apparently some game developers (those lucky few) have been given an iPhone 4 equipped with the A5 chip. This is the same chip that has done wonders for the iPad2, making it quite a bit faster than the original iPad. These iPhone 4 looking devices are likely to be iPhone 5 prototypes.

The latest rumors put the iPhone 5 in an Apple store near you sometime around September. I also heard a rumor that the prototype is being referred to as the iPhone 4S, though with the massive power enhancement I think it will get it's own number... 5!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Whether you celebrate Easter or not, take advantage of the big sale Electronic Arts is having on iOS games. EA has plenty of great iPhone, iPad touch and iPad games for sale at just $0.99.

Some of these are hugely discounted so instead of buying a quad-shot double-half decaf, extra hot foam-free soy latte, why not pick up a few of EA's games. Again, they cost just 99 cents. Even your grandmother would approve!!!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Apple's quarterly profit almost doubled (up 95%) from last year's quarter, thanks in part to strong sales of the iPhone and other products, which weren't slowed by the earthquake in Japan. The almost $6 Billion profit, yes that's a 6 with 9 zeros after it, was the result of an 83% increase in revenues.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

I've written before about some great games made by Big Fat Simulations such as the very popular Airport Madness series for the computer and the iPhone & iPad. They've also made Sky Madness, Air Traffic Controller (ATC) and Will it Fly? Well now Big Fat has just launched a totally new game called Radar Chaos.

A simple control interface makes the game easy for any novice player!

Radar Chaos looks to have taken the realism from some of their original games, such as ATC and Simulator, added some excitement and wow factor they created in Airport Madness, and blended them all together in this latest product. Radar Chaos is the most expensive product listed on Big Fat Simulation's website, but at $14.99 it is still a bargain compared to many other ATC type games that don't compare in quality and realism.

The game displays an Airline Satisfaction scale, a player progress status, and assigns a monetary value to how well they play!

The "Mountains" level is one of the most challenging!

There are 10 different levels available in Radar Chaos starting with four maze scenarios, then progressing to six advanced levels with enough uniqueness to keep a player entertained for a long time.

Here is a screenshot of the "Islands" level with six airports amidst volcanic mountains!

Radar Chaos is a fun and realistic radar-based air traffic control game and simulation. The player gets to control 400 square miles of airspace that surrounds each airport. Choose from easy to realistic settings and also whether you want to have emergencies or bad weather that includes lightning storms.

Probably one of the best aviation game packages available. Big Fat Simulations even has instructional videos describing how to play each level, although it's quite easy to pick up the basics. Radar Chaos seriously KICKS BUTT!!!